habit – Surprised By Joy

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” – unknown

My nine-year-old daughter came home from art class the other day with a new trick. When trying to draw something specific, try turning the object you are drawing upside down. She said it helps to keep the brain from interjecting that we’re doing it wrong.

I loved that suggestion to help tame the inner art critic. And it ties in so well with all the incredible perspective and inspiration Vicki Atkinson and I learned from talented artist and author, Danny Gregory in Episode 109 of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast.

Danny shares his incredible journey from being an ad agency creative director for 30 years to becoming a renowned author and artist. His books and newsletters are not just inspiring; they are a daily call to create and live with purpose. They read like good philosophy, urging us to embrace creativity every day.

Our conversation with Danny was nothing short of inspiring. We delved into morning routines, where I meditate and Danny creates art before breakfast. Why? Because, as Danny delightfully quips, our inner critic tends to get up later.

Vicki and I discovered the magic of illustrative journaling with Danny. Art, as he explains, helps us adapt to life’s changes, builds our confidence, and gives us control over our perspective. It keeps us from being stuck in the mundane.

Danny’s enormously popular YouTube channel, Sketchbook Skool, is less about teaching how to draw and more about understanding the chemical process of creativity. He reminds us that our inner critic is no more correct than we are. Talking with Danny is like having a good coach who not only teaches us skills but also provides the mindset to be most productive.

Join us as we explore the scenic and beautiful places we go as creators. You won’t want to miss this insightful and inspiring conversation with Danny Gregory! And then sign up for Danny’s weekly newsletter for more great inspiration from the amazing Danny Gregory: https://dannysessays.com/

We know you’ll love it!

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 109: Daily Dose of Creativity with Danny Gregory

Episode 109 transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this episode:

https://www.dannygregory.com/books

https://dannysessays.com/

https://www.dannygregory.com/

https://www.sketchbookskool.com/

https://www.dannygregory.com/monkey

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith;

(featured photo from Pexels)

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” – Toni Morrison

The other day Mr D was upset and Miss O shared the wisdom, “Keep small things small.” I was taken by the phrase and asked her to tell me more after we got past our speed bump.

“It’s something Ms. Park says,” she elaborated providing the example that her second grade teacher, Ms. Park, said it the other day when there was a fly in the classroom. All the kids in the first row were trying to “attack it,” in Miss O’s words and Ms. Park wanted them to settle down. “Keep small things small.”

I thought of the parking problem I had the other day when I was turning around to take the space and someone slid right in. I was on the verge of making it a bigger story about how tough life is when someone made me laugh and I let it go.

It also reminded me of when Mr. D punched his sister in the gut the other day as they were wrestling. She said it hurt and he said he was sorry and they moved on. If they continue to be able to do that, it seems less likely that they’ll create a pattern of feeling disrespected and hurt that has plagued my siblings’ relationship in adulthood.

Keeping small things small speaks to me of airing wounds before they fester, identifying patterns before they become bad habits, stopping the internal dialogue before it goes on a self-critical rampage. It helps nail me to the present before I pile on added layers of time and repetition until whatever it is that is bugging me becomes unrecognizable. It means don’t hurt myself trying to attack a fly, whatever the metaphorical fly may be.

So here’s a new note to self courtesy of classroom 219 and all our brilliant and dedicated teachers: “Keep small things small.”

(featured photo from Pexels)

Tag: habit

Drawing Our Own Lines

Keep Small Things Small